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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

It was a Monday afternoon, when I decided to collapse on the couch after scarfing down a hefty lunch which included the likes of smoked salmon, a lot of cream cheese, and of course an everything bagel. May not sound like much, but never the less I was so full, I looked like the little girl in Willy Wonka that blows up into a purple ball. Instead of an Umpa Lumpa rolling me away, I simply laid on my sofa and began to scroll through my Twitter feed. That's when I saw it. It was a tweet sent out by Teen Vogue about an online chat with their Editor in Chief and 23-year veteran of Condé Nast, Amy Astley. Could this be true or was the immense amount of cream cheese in my system causing me to imagine things? Turns out it was very much real. All of a sudden, I was no longer tired or full. I jumped out of my sloth like position, and opened my laptop.

Teen Vogue was going to host their first ever Twitter chat with Astley from 4-5 pm, which gave me an hour to think of questions, drink seltzer, and to just dance randomly in my living room with excitement. If you didn't guess already, just by my reaction, I love online chats as much as Winnie the Pooh adores honey. For fans, it's a great way to interact with their favorite celebrities, inspirations, or role models. For a person studying to go into the fashion industry like muah, it can be a worth while experience. Astley's Twitter chat was just that.

Once logged in at 4, I started tweeting all my questions one after another. Keep in mind, that when it comes to online chats, your questions may not always be answered so you have to be patient and understand that there are about a hundred or more people inquiring as well. I kept my head up either way and continued on. Thirty minutes later, I checked my feed and saw three of my questions answered. I was more than grateful considering so many others were tweeting Astley during the hour.

Astley, was an open book about everything. She told me about her guilty pleasures, personal favorites, and what she thinks every girl should own in her handbag.

Then, just for good measure, I asked the one thing I love to question people on the most...food! I am always curious to see what people will say when I inquire on what food they would compare their passions or career to. Sometimes the responses are unexpected and just plain hilarious. They leave me interpreting the answer in different ways.

If you could compare fashion to one food what would it be?

"Hmm, @LucyandCamilla...Sushi!" -AA

If I had to guess why she compares it to sushi, my opinion would be because sushi can be colorful, handmade, a creative piece of work, comes in different shapes and sizes, and there are so many versions branching off of one idea. Not to mention, each one depends on a person's personal taste! They also range in price and some sushi include vegetables that are seasonal like trends. Yup, I can see where she would compare the two!

Credit for the Amy Astley Photo Featured: thefashpack.onsugar.com

After an hour of tweeting questions and reading others, the chat was sadly over. On the other hand, I was ecstatic that I had several of mine answered. That's why online chats are a blast to be a part of! I have participated in many online chats with some of my favorites such as actors Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel, designer Diane von Furstenberg, and now Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue, Amy Astley. Each one, has taught me an array of things not only about them, but how to ask the right questions as well. For a fashion journalist, that is sort of a major necessity. That's why I keep up with Twitter and Instagram to begin with. If you follow the right people including designers like DVF and Zac Posen or magazines such as Teen Vogue, Lucky, and Glamour, you will get insights on events, sales, or even the once in a while, but always wonderful, online chats. One time, I had to search for a few outfits seen on the CW series 90210, for a reader of mine, and after a long while of coming up empty, I simply looked up the costume designer for the show, contacted her via Twitter, and she was more than kind to give me all the information I needed. Since that day, I have always kept an eye out for moments like those, because they teach you what to investigate and what type of questions to ask.

Astley's chat, hosted by Twitter and Teen Vogue, was a nice experience to be a part of. After all, now I know a little more about one of the most influential leading ladies in fashion. Yay for that!